There are toddler tornadoes, and then ...

... there are tropical storms that are game-changers for toddlers. Head over to Phase Three of Life for my guest post about our experience braving Tropical Storm Debby late last month. Meg is enjoying the tropical life while on vacation (Kristin says unjealously as she makes up words like "unjealously" and writes in the third person) and hopefully not encountering any storms aside from perhaps fruity drinks like hurricanes.

Vocal video

Work has been hectic and crazy and I haven't been able to blog this week, but I wanted to share a short video of Elle from last week :)

Also, if you're curious about what a day in my life is like or you're suffering insomnia and need to read yourself to sleep, hop over to one of my favorite blogs, the Domestic Wannabe, where I'm guest posting today!

Father's Day

For Tim's first Father's Day, I wanted to give him something special. I was struck with inspiration while looking at photos that a friend had had taken at a portrait studio for her son's first birthday. I started brainstorming and *thought* I had an original idea, but apparently I am not as original as first thought because I've seen it done several times now :)

But! I've intended from the start to make this a yearly gift - subbing out the photos from year to year until Elle is 18. And if there are more baby sea cows in the future, they'll be included in the photos.

Elle hates grass, so she doesn't exactly look happy/comfortable/pleased in these photos :) We went with basic white letters this year but can paint or decorate them in the future to mix things up.

I guest-blogged this week over at amykolz.com, and I wrote about how grateful I am that Tim is my other half in this crazy adventure that is parenthood, and how the bond that he shares with Elle melts my heart.

He wants such big things for her -

for her to have opportunities,

happiness and more hair.

Elle is so much like her father -

from her looks to her personality -

and she is so in love with him.

Absolutely adores him.

I see her turn toward his voice

any time he walks in the room -

no matter what she is doing -

or watch her face light up

when he comes to get her after a nap.

And I see he feels the same way -

even after a long work week

and little sleep,

he greets her with enthusiasm

matched only by the Cincinnati Reds

winning a big game in the final at-bat.

The first time Tim held Elle.

For the rest of my post (with more photos!), please visit Amy's blog.

Today, I'm wishing all father's a happy Father's Day - a day that honors men who play such an important role in the lives of so many. I've been fortunate enough to have been blessed with some pretty great dads in my life, from the father of my precious daughter to my own father.

Happy Father's Day, Dad! Love you!

Guest bloggin'

As Mother's Day approaches, I've been reflecting a lot about my still-new role in life: Mother. It's a life change that has also put in to perspective my relationship with many other women, including my own mom, my grandmother, my friends, other mommy bloggers and other family members.

Amy Kolz is an amazing writer and photographer who has an incredible line of greeting cards, "Cadence," available at Target. The Mother's Day cards are absolutely fantastic. Amy has a preview of many of them on her blog, and trust me, you'll want to take your time when browsing through them at Target before buying one or five for the special women in your life. (Like you needed an excuse to spend more time and money at Target? I know. But trust me.)

For the last few weeks, Amy has been featuring not only her Mother's Day cards on her blog but also guest posts from people who have a tribute to motherhood or the special moms in their lives to share. 

One of the most emotional experiences I've had recently was giving the eulogy at my grandmother's funeral, but there's a big difference between publicly speaking about a loved one and the written word. Grandma is one of the most amazing women I've ever had the pleasure of knowing, and I feel blessed to have had her in my life as long as I did. I put some of my thoughts on my grandmother, especially how I'll remember her and want Elle to know of her, in a blog post that is published on Amy's blog.